Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B4/00—Preservation of meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/06—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
  • A23B4/07—Thawing subsequent to freezing
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
  • A23B2/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general
  • A23B2/80—Freezing; Subsequent thawing; Cooling
  • A23B2/82—Thawing subsequent to freezing

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for thawing frozen food products.
• FR 2 711 485 discloses a process for churning, brining, cooking and thawing meats.
• EP 2 327 310 discloses a process for defrosting meat at a pressure of around 30 to 75 mbar.
• WO 2010/133356 A1 also describes a process for defrosting minced meat.
• a defrosting process using a mixer equipped with a double jacket in which a fluid of controlled temperature circulates is not entirely satisfactory either because it leads to longer treatment times and damage to the products, heat transfer being relatively slow and the defrosted products quickly damaged by the falling of the still hard blocks present in the mixer which fall back on the rest of the products.
• the invention makes it possible to control the level of water added during defrosting by reducing losses of soluble proteins.
• the invention can, in the case of block food products, make it possible in particular to obtain a less damaged product, without adding water, or even drier than if it were fresh, the process being efficient in terms of time and productivity, ensuring great consistency from one production to the next, and its yield making it possible to reduce protein losses.
• the total quantity of steam injected is preferably between 0.1 and 10% of the total weight of the food products to be defrosted, better between 0.1 and 5%.
• Steam injection is preferably discontinuous, which allows a higher vacuum level to be maintained, in order to reduce the risk of surface cooking.
• the process may thus comprise one or more phases during which the food products are subjected to a boiling vacuum at an absolute pressure less than or equal to 25 mbar within the enclosure, better still 20 mbar, even better still at a pressure less than or equal to 10 mbar.
• Thermal energy may otherwise be supplied to the food products during and/or after steam injection and dissociation of the block(s), to continue thawing.
• This thermal energy can be provided by conduction, radiation and/or radio frequency, preferably by conduction.
• the mixer may have a double jacket within which a fluid circulates at a controlled temperature, preferably between 4°C and +55°C.
• the temperature of the fluid is chosen according to the progress of defrosting.
• Food products can be cooled after defrosting, preferably by conduction, in particular by lowering the temperature of the fluid circulating in the double jacket, and/or by endothermic evaporation by vacuum.
• the mixer's double jacket can thus be supplied during the cooling phase with cooling fluid at a controlled temperature, preferably between -10°C and +10°C.
• the food products consist, for example, of pieces of meat, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the defrosting of meat, and applies to all food products in blocks or IQF frozen.
• Salt can be added to the mixer.
• the rotation speed of the mixer can be between 0.25 and 6 rpm, preferably between 0.5 and 1.25 rpm.
• Installation 10 shown at the figure 1 allows the implementation of the method according to the invention.
• This installation 10 comprises a mixer 11, comprising a tank driven in rotation on itself around an axis of rotation which is for example horizontal.
• This tank can be driven in rotation by means of a cradle equipped with an electric motor 12, and at least one drive roller 13.
• the cradle can be equipped at its base with 14 scales which allow you to know the weight of the food products placed in the tank.
• the installation also includes a boiling vacuum group 20 which is connected by a pipe 21 to the mixer enclosure by means of a rotating joint.
• the pipe 21 can be equipped with a pressure sensor 22 making it possible to know the pressure in this enclosure.
• the installation 10 includes a standard vacuum pump 30, to obtain a primary, non-boiling vacuum.
• the vacuum group 20 makes it possible to drop the pressure low enough to enter boiling mode.
• the vacuum pump 30 is connected by a pipe 31 to the enclosure, and makes it possible to obtain the primary vacuum in the enclosure more economically.
• the mixer 11 has a double jacket, in which a fluid circulates at a controlled temperature. This fluid also circulates through supply and return pipes 41 and 42 connected to a thermal group 40 allowing the production of heat or cold, as required.
• the installation 10 also includes a steam generator 50 connected by a pipe 51 to the mixer, which allows steam to be injected into the enclosure containing the food products.
• the steam generator 50 is heated and a vacuum is created in the mixer 11 by means of the vacuum pump 30.
• steam injection phases for example of less than 2 min, with the mixer rotating for example at 1 rpm, rotation phases at 1 rpm without steam injection, for example of more than 5 min, and vacuum re-vacuum phases with the vacuum pump 30, for example of less than 2 min, are alternated.
• the weight of steam injected over 10 minutes is in this example 2.4 kg, or 1% of the weight of meat.
• the mixer is operated for a period of between 4 and 8 hours at 1 rpm with the vacuum pump 30 in operation and the double jacket supplied with hot glycol water regulated at a temperature of between 25 and 40°C by the thermal unit.
• the regulation temperature on the Tc product is between 10°C and 15°C.
• the mixer is operated for a period of between 0.5 h and 2 h with the vacuum pump 30 in operation and the double jacket supplied with cold glycol water regulated to a negative temperature by the thermal unit.
• the regulation temperature on the product T D is for example between 1 and 6 °C.
• the mixer is driven in rotation with the boiling vacuum unit 20 in operation and the double jacket supplied with cold glycol water regulated to a slightly negative temperature by the thermal unit.
• the regulation temperature on the product T F is for example between 0.5 °C and 3 °C.
• mixer any apparatus for mixing the food contained therein in a manner compatible with the intended purpose. This may be a rotating tank, as illustrated in the drawing of this application, or a vacuum arm mixer.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Freezing, Cooling And Drying Of Foods (AREA)
• Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Related Parent Applications (1)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

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• 2015
  • 2015-03-04 FR FR1551805A patent/FR3033231B1/fr active Active
• 2016
  • 2016-03-02 WO PCT/EP2016/054418 patent/WO2016139244A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2016-03-02 PL PL16707738T patent/PL3264914T3/pl unknown
  • 2016-03-02 EP EP19188686.0A patent/EP3593645B1/fr active Active
  • 2016-03-02 ES ES16707738T patent/ES2750010T3/es active Active
  • 2016-03-02 ES ES19188686T patent/ES3059277T3/es active Active
  • 2016-03-02 EP EP16707738.7A patent/EP3264914B1/fr active Active
  • 2016-03-02 PL PL19188686.0T patent/PL3593645T3/pl unknown

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